Table 1.
Summary of key findings on therapeutic strategies targeting the immune system and inflammation in COVID-19
| Therapeutic option | Key findings | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Convalescent plasma therapy | Mortality rate did not appear to be excessive and no indication of toxicity beyond the expected toxicity of plasma use in critically-ill patients. | [32] |
| Convalescent plasma therapy | Improvement of clinical symptoms and viral load in severe cases of COVID-19. | [36] |
| Convalescent plasma therapy | COVID-19 progression in mild disease was reduced by high-titer IgG convalescent plasma against SARS-CoV-2. | [37] |
| Bamlavinimab (LY-CoV555) | IV infusion of single dose of 2800 mg LYCoV555 appeared to speed up the natural decrease in viral load in patients with mild or moderate COVID-19. | [38] |
| REGN-COV2 (combination of casirivimab and imdevimab) | Reduced viral load especially in patients with a high baseline viral load. | [39] |
| Tocilizumab | Beneficial in improving survival and clinical outcome, in addition to the beneficial effects of systemic corticosteroids (RECOVERY trial). | [41] |
| Methylprednisolone | A significantly shorter median hospital stay compared to control group. | [42] |
| Corticosteroids | Not associated with virus clearance time, duration of hospital stay, or symptom duration. | [43] |
| Corticosteroids | More likely to be used in critical patients. | [44] |
| Its use was associated with a higher mortality, longer duration of hospitalization and higher rate of bacterial infection. | ||
| Inhaled budesonide | Decreased the probability of the need for emergency care and recovery time in patients in early COVID-19. | [45] |
| Intravenous hydrocortisone | Results were inconclusive. | [46] |
| Trial was terminated early without any treatment meeting any of the prespecified criteria for statistical superiority (REMAP-CAP trial). | ||
| Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) | No significant higher risk of mortality, hospitalization, severe COVID-19 or oxygen support was demonstrated among acute ibuprofen and chronic NSAID users when compared to non-NSAID users. | [47] |
| Ibuprofen | Use of ibuprofen did not worsen clinical outcomes in COVID-19 patients in terms of mortality and need for oxygen support. | [48] |
| NSAIDs | No difference in COVID-19 related death risk between current- and non-users of NSAIDs in general population and patients with osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis. | [49] |
| Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) injection | Improvement of pulmonary symptoms and functions, reduction in proinflammatory markers and overactivated immune cells and increase in anti-inflammatory markers in seven COVD-19 patients given IV MSC injection. | [50] |
| Human umbilical cord MSCs | Laboratory- and CT-evident remission of inflammation in a case of severe COVID-19. | [51] |